Rheotome mechanism for medical batteries



(No Model.)

` H. B. 00X.

REEOTOME MEEEANISM EOE MEDICAL BATTERIES. No. 389,640. Patented Sept. 18, 1888.

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g UNITED STA-Tas PATENT risica,

.HARRY BARRINGER COX, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TC TIIF Il. ll. COX ELECTRIC COMPANY, OF NEV HAVEN, CONNECTICUT.

RHEOTOME MECHANISNI FOR MEDICAL BATTEFHES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 389,640, dated September 18, 1388.

Application tiled December 17, ISST. Serial No. 253207. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Beit known that I, HARRY BARRINGER COX, of Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rheotome Mechanism for Medical Batteries, and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of thcinvention,which will enable others skilled inthe art to which vit appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, and to the letters of reference marked thereon,which forms part of this specification.

My invention relates to au improvement in circuit closers and breakers, and more particularly to automatic rhcotome or circuit closers and breakers more especially adapted for use in connection with medical batteries or the like inclosed in suitable cases or boxes.

The object of my invention is to provide a rheotome mechanism so arranged that the circuit shall be automatically closed and opened by the operation of opening and shutting the door or lid of the box or case containing the battery; and a further object is to provide a simple, cheap, effective, and automatic rheotome mechanism preferably adapted for use in medical batteries producing` induced or secondary currents, and thus reduce the necessary printed instructions usually accompanying such batteries to a minimum, and also reducing the danger of injury trom careless or ignorant handling.

lVith these ends in View my invention con` sists in certain novel features of construction and combi nations ofparts, more fully described hereinafter, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

The accompanying` drawing illustrates in perspective the open portion of a case, the hinged cover for the same, and the contacts carried by the case and cover constituting the rheotome mechanism, the battery and lower front portion of the case being broken away to clearly show the rheotome mechanism.

In the drawing, the reference-letter A represents any suitable case or box containing a battery,(not showin) and being provided with a lid or cover, B, suitably hinged at points alt 5o to one edge of the open portion ofthe case A,

and adapted to close said open portion and protect the contents from dust or injury. Stationary contacts C C are secured to and extend above the inner edge ol" the case,to which the cover is hinged, and said contacts are eleetrically connected with a suitable source of electrical energy by the wires c c. The contacts C C are secured to the case at their lower portions in any suitable manner, as by screws or nails, and their upper portions extend npwardly above the upper edge ofthe case a suitable distance and are bent outwardly substantially at right angles tothe main portion to form the outwardly-projccting contact-surfaces dvd'. Movable contacts D D are secured to the inner side ofthe cover or lid and project downward from the hinged edge ot' the same opposite each stationary cont-act which extend up wardly from the case. The movable contacts are secured at their upper portions to the cover or lid in anysuitable manner, as by screws or the like, and from thence they project downwardly beyond the lower edge ot' the cover, so that when the cover is closed the movable contact will extend down into the case, and the free ends ofsaid movable contacts are bent or project laterally substantially at right angles to the main portion of the same to form the contactsurtaces e e', t-he upper sides of which are adapted to come in electrical contact with the under sides of the cont-actsurfaccs of the,

stationary contacts when the cover or lid is thrown open, as shown in l'ull lines in the drawing. The movable contacts are electric ally connected by means ot' the plate or wire E, secured to the inner side ofthe hinged edge of the cover and passing beneath the upper portions of said movable contacts. 50th the movable and stationary contacts arc preferably, but not necessarily, Formed otllat spring j metal, and the outer free ends ol' the movable contacts are bent slightly outward from the inner side ol the edge of the cover, so that the ends of said contacts will not come in contact with the inner side ol` the box or the lower portions of the stationary contacts when the cover is closed.

By referring to the drawing and the foregoing description it will bc clearly evident that when the cover is closed the contacts carried IOO by and moving with said cover will extend downwardly into the casing out of contact with the stationary contacts and the circuit will be open; but when the cover is raised the'movable contacts will move upwardly with the same, and when the cover is fully opened their contact-surfaces will come in contactwith the under faces ofthe outwardly-bent contactsu rfaces of the stationary contacts, and the circuit will thus be closed and the battery set in operation, and when it is desired to break the circuit and stop the operation of the battery it is simply necessary to close the cover.

Itis clearly evident that substantially my form of circuit breaker and closer could be used in connection with any other form of casing and cover than that shown and described herein, and it is also evident that numerous slight changes might be resorted to in the form and arrangement ofthe various parts described without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention; hence I do not wish to limit myself strictly to thc construction herein set forth.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

l. The combination, with a box or case and stationary contacts secured to the same and electrically connected with a source ofelcclrical energy, ot' a suitable lid or cover t'or the case or box and contacts carried by and adapted to move with said cover and to electrically engage the stationary coutactswhen the cover is opened and to be thrown outof contact with the same when the cover is closed, substantially as described. v

2. rlhe combination, with a suitable case or box and contacts secured to the same and electrically connected with a sou ree ofelectrical f energy, of a suitable lid or cover for the case, and contacts secured to and moving with the cover,said contacts being electrically connected with each other at their main portions,whereby when the cover is thrown open the contacts carried by the saine electrically engage the contacts on the case, and when the cover is closed the contacts are thrown out of engagement, substantially as described.

3. In combination, a suitable case or box, contacts secured to and extending above an upper edge of the same, a cover hinged to close or open said case or box, and contacts carried by said cover and adapted to electrically engage the before-mentioned contacts when the cover is opened, the contacts carried by the cover having their main portions electrically connected, subst-aniially as described.

4. ln combination, a suitable case or box, contacts secured to and extending above the upper edge ot' said box, said contacts being provided with outwardly-bent contactsurfaces, a cover hinged to said case or box, and contacts secured to said cover and extending below the lower edges of the same, said contacts being electrically connected and pro vided upon their outer free ends with laterally-bent contact surfaces to engage said outwardly-bent contact-surfaces ofthe contacts upon the case or box when the cover is opened, substantially as described.

In testimony thatI claim the foregoing as my own I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HARRY BARRINGER COX.

' Witnesses:

CHAs. M. VVERL, HUBERT E. Pnox. 

